1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to telecommunications, and in particular to a system and method for utilizing existing telecommunications resources of a mobile network to provide additional services to an existing second network of a utility through the transferring of utility meter readings completely wirelessly over a mobile network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Service applications such as utilities typically employ land-line based networks to convey the services, such as electricity, gas, or water. However, usage by customers of such services is monitored by human operators dispatched to the individual location or residence of the customers to read a meter associated with usage of the services. Such human operators are prone to error in recording the usage, and the timing of their recordation is random, depending on their routes, the weather, and other human factors.
A need exists for a remote meter reading system which does not depend on human operators.
In a mobile telecommunications switching network, mobile stations may be used in static applications such as telemetry of components in the network. Digital cellular networks provide full national coverage of a designated served area, and similar coverage applies for any utility services representing a land line network, as in electricity, gas, or water. A Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) is one example of such mobile telecommunications networks which provides services other than cellular voice services. One of these important services is known as Short Message Service (SMS). In general, the SMS uses short message packets that are employed for the same aim as that of a signaling mechanism.
Once deployed, telecommunication systems are limited by their intended use determined by their infrastructure. Accordingly, to provide new or additional services to enhance functionality for users and to compete with newer systems and new technologies, existing telecommunication systems must be significantly altered at considerable cost and with increased complexity.
Similarly, existing applications using a second network, such as a communication infrastructure of an application, such as utilities, are also limited by their intended use determined by their infrastructure. Accordingly, such applications are unable to provide new or additional services to enhance functionality for users without significant alteration at considerable cost and with increased complexity.
A need exists for adapting existing and limited telecommunication systems to provide new and/or additional services to a second network of an application without significantly altering the established infrastructures, without incurring considerable costs for implementing such services, and without significantly increasing the complexity of the telecommunication system.